January 2009 Archives
January 29, 2009
Maud Steps Down. Comments (7)
Veteran Vienna Council Member Robinson Opts for Retirement
by BRIAN TROMPETER, Staff Writer
Except for a brief period in 2000, a Robinson has held a Vienna Town Council seat for the past 47 years.
That tradition will end this year when Town Council member Maud Robinson steps down on June 30. Robinson, who has served on the council since 2000, announced Jan. 26 that she would not seek another two-year term.
“I just decided it would be pleasant to have a little more leisure time,” she said. “One does not have to be in elected office to accomplish constructive thing for one’s community.”
Robinson said she was proud of having influenced the town’s aesthetics on the Vienna Architectural Review Board, helping create the creation of a special commercial zone on Church Street and securing the placement of no-through-trucks signs in neighborhoods.
Robinson was appointed to the council to fill the unexpired term of M. Jane Seeman, who had been elected mayor following the death of Robinson’s husband, longtime Mayor Charles Robinson. A 58-year Vienna resident, Maud Robinson was re-elected in 2001 and served four more two-year terms.
Robinson’s views during council meetings have leaned toward fiscal conservatism and historic preservation.
She has clashed frequently with some residents in northwest Vienna, who oppose development and renovation restrictions imposed by the Windover Heights Historic District. This fight has been the subject of a years-long lawsuit that likely will have a judge’s ruling shortly, town officials said.
Robinson called her Town Council tenure “the most rewarding experience of my life, apart from marrying my husband.” She plans to remain active in town organizations but will “respect the boundaries” when it comes to interacting with the Town Council, she said.
Robinson, 86, was born in Stamford, Conn., earned a bachelor’s degree from Smith College and attended law school at the University of Virginia for two years.
She also performed intelligence and communications work with the U.S. Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) during World War II.
Robinson served on the Vienna Architectural Review Board, the Town/Business Liaison Committee and the Church Street Vision Committee. She is on the board of Historic Vienna Inc. and belongs to the Vienna Rotary Club and Ayr Hill Garden Club.
Seeman said Robinson’s long institutional memory has informed many Town Council decisions.
“She has a clear-eyed view of things,” Seeman said. “She didn’t let anything cloud her judgment. Whether we agree with her or not, she never has problems making her views known. When it’s over, we put it all behind us. She always puts the town’s interest first.”
Seeman said she and Robinson vehemently disagree on some issues, but do not let policy disputes affect their friendship.
“We sometimes yell at each other on the phone,” Seeman said. “When it’s over, we’ll ask, ‘Do you want to go to dinner?’”
Three Town Council seats will be up for grabs in the May 5 election. The seats of George Lovelace and Dan Dellinger also will be on the ballot; neither has voiced his intentions to run or not yet.
Vienna Volunteer Fire Department president Howard Springsteen confirmed this week he will file to run.
A logistics manager with the Fairfax County Department of Vehicle Services, Springsteen has lived in Vienna for 12 years and served on Vienna Transportation Safety Commission. This would be his first run for elected office.
“I think it’s important that people who are interested step forward and serve the town,” he said.
Fourth of July Fireworks to Return? Comments (1)
Questions Remain Before Fireworks Make Return to Vienna
by BRIAN TROMPETER, Staff Writer
Vienna officials hope to bring fireworks back to the town’s annual Fourth of July celebration, but may hold the display at a different site from the usual Waters Field.
Town Council members hashed over the pros and cons of two possible sites during a Jan. 12 work session.
Town officials, stunned by a fireworks malfunction in 2007 that injured 11 people, held a laser light show at last year’s July 4 event.
Vienna Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Salgado said she had not received much public feedback, pro or con, concerning the laser show. Town officials are considering fireworks again because they are cheaper than a laser display, which last year cost about $20,000, she said.
The prospective new fireworks site that garnered the most enthusiasm from the Town Council was Southside Park, which offers suitable safety zones for spectators. In order for this site to work, Vienna Little League would have to grant the town permission to seat spectators on its fields next to the park.
Previous Vienna fireworks shows have featured up to 4-inch-diameter shells, but site constraints and new federal fireworks regulations would permit only 3-inch shells at Southside Park, Salgado said.
Town officials are trying to set up an informational meeting in February with the site’s surrounding neighbors.
The Fairfax County Fire Marshal’s Office has approved Southside Park as a fireworks site, but still would supervise the show and demand a detailed pyrotechnic list from whichever vendor is chosen, Salgado said.
Vienna officials also are consulting with town police about parking arrangements and traffic flow if the event were held at Southside Park. Portions of Ross Drive, S.W., may be closed during the show, and shuttle buses may be used to transport spectators to the site, officials said.
If Southside Park is chosen for the fireworks show, a police officer would have to be stationed on Interstate 66 to report if smoke from the display drifts over the highway, Salgado said.
Town officials briefly considered holding the fireworks show at James Madison High School, but decided the site was too cramped and had the additional complication of an artificial-turf athletic field, which might be damaged by the pyrotechnics.
Vienna officials also ruled out Nottoway Park, located just west of the town’s border, because the site has only one road for ingress and egress.
As they have in previous years, town officials plan to ask Westwood Country Club to let the public watch its fireworks display. The country club shoots fireworks over its golf course, which provides a safety buffer adequate for massive 7- and 8-inch shells, Salgado said.
Country club officials in the past have declined to allow non-members onto the club’s grounds to view the display. Vienna officials may propose closing a section of nearby Maple Avenue so the public could watch the display from the road.
Mayor M. Jane Seeman questioned whether the town should pick up any of the show’s cost, given the unorthodox seating arrangements.
“We’d be paying for it and we’d have to sit on the street? Excuse me?” Seeman asked.
Whichever fireworks location is chosen, Vienna still will hold other Fourth of July events throughout the day at Waters Field, said Vienna Town Manager John Schoeberlein.
January 13, 2009
Maud Out; Howard Springsteen Annointed as Next Boob Comments (30)
It appears Maudasaurus is not running. Word is Howard Springsteen is being put up by the machine. Great, one of the biggest boobs ever seen in the Town of Vienna (and one of the dumbest) is being pushed for Vienna Council. How does this work? A Fairfax County government employee gets to run part of Vienna government? Is there a conflict there?
January 07, 2009
Vienna Approves "Band Rehearsal Areas" Comments (13)
Nothing is worse than a garage band. Oh, the horror.
Vienna Council OK's Conversion of Carports to Garages by BRIAN TROMPETERVienna homeowners soon will be allowed to enclose their carports for security, aesthetic and storage purposes.
The Vienna Town Council voted 6 to 1 Jan. 5 to amend the town code and permit enclosed one-story garages on the footprints of former carports.
The new garages must be no taller than 14 feet high and located at least 10 feet from the side property line in the RS-16 and RS-12.5 zoning districts, and at least 7 feet from the line in the RS-10 zone. In the case of corner lots, a 10-foot-minimum setback would be required in all three residential zones.
Several Vienna residents testified that since a state Supreme Court decision, local boards of zoning appeals have not been able to issue variances unless an extreme hardship is being caused by a property’s topography.
The residents argued that enclosed garages are more attractive than cluttered carports, and constitute better deterrents against burglars.
“It’s important for homeowners to be able to modernize their properties,” said Vienna resident Jeff Midili.
Vienna Planning Commission members on Nov. 12 unanimously recommended that the ordinance amendments be rejected. Commission members disliked the prospect of allowing living space 5 feet closer to side property lines than currently permitted under the town code, and said the measures could prompt residents to convert their garages illegally into living areas.
Town Council member Laurie Cole cast the lone vote against the amendments.
“Garages can become band-rehearsal areas and workshops, which can create nuisances,” Cole said. “I agree with the Planning Commission that this is not a wise idea. It creates a large opportunity for downsides to the town.”
But the majority of Town Council members said enclosed garages are more aesthetically pleasing than carports and less visually imposing than a McMansion next door.
“I think the overall benefits to the town far outweigh any downside or any potential unintended consequences,” said Council member Michael Polychrones.
January 02, 2009
Another Vienna Landmark Bites the Dust Comments (31)
The original Wesley United Methodist Church and later Curly's will soon become Yaz Bakery:
Council OK's New Church Street Project
by BRIAN TROMPETER
December 29, 2008
Vienna’s up-and-coming Church Street Vision area soon will have another distinctive architectural addition.The Vienna Town Council on Dec. 15 approved a new building at 137 Church St., N.W., which will serve as the new home for Yas Bakery & Pastries and perhaps one or two other tenants.
The building’s first floor would serve as the bakery’s main area, the second floor would contain the bakery’s work room, lunch room and a small office, and the third floor would be leased to renters, possibly law offices, said architect Paul Layer.
The new 6,526-square-foot, three-story building will replace another structure on the parcel and have 11 on-site parking spaces. The building’s third floor will be its largest and will extend over an archway that leads to parking behind the property.
A mix of brick, cast stone, wrought iron and a standing-seam metal roof will give the building’s facade a pleasing appearance, Layer said.
The new building also will have a more capacious stormwater-management facility than the site’s current structure, said Patrick Kessler, vice president of GJB Engineering Inc.
The site’s owner, Maryam Properties, will improve an alleyway behind the property and erect a 6-foot-tall screening and retaining wall there. The alley will be maintained by the town.
Town Council member Daniel Dellinger complimented Layer for the building’s design.
“You’ve taken the very essence of it and done a wonderful job,” Dellinger said.
http://www.sungazette.net/articles/2009/01/02/fairfax/news/ff20.txt
